Japan’s government said Wednesday it is pulling out of the International Whaling Commission and will resume commercial whaling. The move ends a program that allowed Japanese vessels to hunt and kill whales on a limited basis under the pretext of “scientific research.” This is Japan’s cabinet secretary announcing the withdrawal on Wednesday.

Yoshihide Suga: “Japan’s basic policy of promoting sustainable use of aquatic living resources based on scientific evidence has not changed, and under that policy we have decided to resume commercial whaling.”

In a statement, Greenpeace condemned the move and called on Japan to recommit to the International Whaling Commission. But the anti-whaling direct action group Sea Shepherd hailed the withdrawal a victory that would end Japanese whaling in the Antarctic while revealing Japan as a “pirate” whaling nation. Sea Shepherd pledged its boats would continue to confront Japanese whaling vessels on the high seas.